Position Title: Transition Program Manager
Start Date: 4/1/2024
End Date: 12/31/2024
Company Overview:
We are a representing a Fortune 500 company involved in the manufacturing and distribution of consumer goods. They are seeking a dedicated Transition Program Manager to facilitate the transition of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) within their IT organization.
Role Overview
As a Program Manager specializing in MSP transition projects, you will work in conjunction with the Transition Manager, MSP Transition Leader and advisory services team to ensure the successful execution of the transition project from one Managed Service Provider (MSP) to another. Your primary focus will be to partner with MSP Transition Leader on the overall coordination, planning, and execution of the project, working closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure smooth transition without service degradation and support Transition manager in ensuring preparation and readiness of new MSP to fulfill contractual obligations.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Planning and Coordination:
- Review and contribute to comprehensive project plan provided by MSP Transition Leader, outlining tasks, timelines, and milestones for the MSP transition.
- Collaborate with the Transition Manager and MSP Transition Leader to align project goals with the broader transition strategy.
- Resource Management:
- Work closely with the Transition Manager to allocate internal resources effectively, ensuring that personnel and technology needs are met.
- Coordinate with department heads to ensure adequate staffing and support during the transition period.
- Partner with MSP Transition Leader to ensure adequate resourcing to deliver transition activities, deliverables and milestones.
- Stakeholder Communication:
- Partner with MSP Transition Leader and MKC Transition Manager to Establish and maintain clear communication channels with all stakeholders, providing regular updates on project progress.
- Collaborate with the Transition Manager to address concerns, manage expectations, and ensure transparency throughout the project.
- Risk Management:
- Identify potential risks associated with the project and work with the Transition Manager to develop mitigation strategies.
- Monitor and manage risk factors to keep the project on track and within scope.
- Vendor Coordination:
- Collaborate with both the current MSP and the new MSP, ensuring alignment with the transition plan and resolving any issues that may arise.
- Assist the Transition Manager in ensuring the preparation and readiness of new MSP to fulfill contractual obligations and readiness for SLAs attainment.
- Quality Assurance:
- Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the success of the transition project.
- Collaborate with the Transition Manager to conduct regular assessments, ensuring that the new MSP services meet organizational standards.
- Documentation and Reporting:
- Maintain detailed project documentation, including plans, reports, and meeting minutes.
- Work with the Transition Manager to generate regular reports for leadership and stakeholders, summarizing project progress and outcomes.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in project management, business administration, or a related field.
- Proven experience as a Project Manager, particularly in managing IT transitions or similar projects.
- Strong project management skills with proficiency in project management tools.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with the Transition Manager and cross-functional teams.
- Familiarity with ITIL framework and best practices
Experience & Skills
- >5 years of experience in a project management
- 3+ years of experience working with managed service providers
- 5+ years of experience in project management and strategic planning
- 5+ year experience with formal team leadership
- Experience with transformation & transition programs
- Experience with Agile, IaC and DevOps
- Certification in ITIL V4 or V3
- Self-motivated and able to informally lead project teams
- Effective leadership skills, ability to think in a strategic manner at a global level
- Exceptional communication skills and the ability to communicate appropriately at all levels of the organization; this includes written and verbal communications as well as visualizations.
- Positive approach to customer service with demonstrated ability to handle high pressure support needs in a calm, respectful, and efficient manner.
- Must be able to present with authority, influence others and mentor remote teams while valuing the perspective of others
- Strong technical experience allowing the incumbent to review project requirements, technical specifications, technical action plans and translate this into process requirements & execution
- Experience with teams that are diverse, global, cross -functional, and cross- cultural.
- Ability to set and deliver against agreed deadlines
- Adept at conducting research into product and service-related issues
- An analytical mind-set with great problem-solving abilities
- Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
- Experience at working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
- Thorough understanding of project/program management techniques and methods
Location
1. Entirely remote
2. The major time zones are EST, CET/BST, and IST. The best coverage would be in the BST, with EST being second best.
Notes on Experience
The ideal candidate for the Transition PM role must possess a strong background in project management, especially in IT transitions, demonstrated through proven experience. This includes essential skills in MSP coordination, stakeholder communication, risk management, quality assurance, resource management, documentation and reporting, and IT service management. A Bachelor’s degree in project management, business administration, or a related field is mandatory, along with proficiency in project management tools and methodologies, specifically the ITIL framework. Experience in vendor management, KPI monitoring, strategic planning, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team-oriented environment while adhering to strict deadlines is also required. The candidate should excel in interpersonal and communication skills, ensuring clear and effective liaising across various project stages and with all stakeholders.
While not mandatory, additional qualifications that would greatly benefit the candidate include experience with Agile and DevOps practices, which suggest a modern and adaptable approach to project management. Familiarity with cross-functional team leadership and formal team leadership experience would indicate a strong capability in managing diverse groups and leading projects to success. Skills in change management, high-pressure environment adaptability, customer service orientation, and research and analytical capabilities would further enhance the candidate’s profile, demonstrating a versatile and comprehensive approach to tackling complex project challenges. Experience in technical specification analysis, although not explicitly required, would be advantageous in ensuring the effective translation of technical requirements into actionable project plans.